BIDDING to improve their medal prospects in the 33rd Thailand SEA Games, middle distance runner Bernalyn Bejoy and thrower Daniella Daynata are undergoing training at the Chula Vista Elite Athletic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, according to FILAM Sports head Bo Navarro.
“We both saw the potential in Bernalyn and Daniela and hope that this training at the Chula Vista Elite Training Center will help them improve on their respective performances in their build-up to the Thailand SEA Games,” Navarro said of the FILAM Sports homegrown proteges.
This is the same world-class training facility where ace pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena prepares for international competitions whenever he is in the US and is a certified US Olympic and Paralympic training site.
“The Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center has sport venues and support facilities for more than a dozen summer Olympic and Paralympic sports, and cross-training abilities for various winter sports,” according to its website.
“The CVEATC offers support to athletes including housing, dining, training facilities, local transportation, recreational facilities, athlete services and professional development programs,” it added.
“Typically, elite athletes are selected to train here by their respective sport federation or National Governing Body.”
Bejoy emerged as a strong gold medal contender in the women’s 800-meter race for the SEA Games after setting a new personal best of two minutes and .06.83 seconds in the event’s heats in the Asian Athletic Championships last May in Gumi, South Korea.
Her time was very close to duplicating the nine-year-old national mark of 2:08.75 set by Jessica Barnard in at the Portland Track Festival on June 12, 2016 in Portland, Oregon.
Even better, Bejoy’s time was faster than the gold-medal clocking of Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tu of 2:08.55 in the Cambodia SEA Games two years ago.
The former UAAP athletic standout also won a gold medal in the women’s 800-meter run at the Korea Open following the world meet in 2:08.44 seconds.
On the other hand, Daynata, who is a three-in-one thrower, competing in the javelin, shot put and discus events, set a personal best of 44.93 meters in placing fourth in the women’s discus throw at the Taiwan Open last month.
Her throw is 15 centimeters or nearly six inches off the distance of 45.08 meters of Cambodia SEAG bronze medalist Le Thi Cam Dung of Vietnam.
